Best for
Best for Windows-based sound designers and engineers who edit, repair and master one file at a time beside their DAW.
Audio Editing & Mastering Comparison
Sound Forge vs. Waves
At a glance
At a glance
Best for
Best for mix engineers and producers who want a broad plug-in catalogue for mixing, mastering and vocal cleanup under one subscription.
Cataleo does not name a winner. Both statements come from the vendors themselves.
Full Comparison
| Criterion | Sound Forge | Waves |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $24.95 / month Subscription. Perpetual licences start at $299.95, according to Boris FX's pricing page. | lower value From $14.99 / month Waves Essential billed monthly, or $149.99 billed annually. Waves Ultimate is $24.99 a month or $249.99 a year. |
| Free trial | 15-day free trial, fully functional, no credit card needed | 7-day free trial of Waves Essential and Waves Ultimate |
| Output | Recorded, edited, repaired and mastered audio files | Processed audio inside a DAW |
| API | Scripting in JScript, VBScript or C# with a documented programming API | Not stated |
| Hosting | Desktop app for Windows 11 | Plug-ins for macOS 14 Sonoma to 27 Golden Gate and Windows 10 (22H2) and 11, version 17; on Mac only M-series Apple Silicon is officially supported |
| What it does | Single-file audio editing: recording, sample-level editing, repair and mastering, built to work beside a DAW or video editor | Plug-in catalogue for mixing, mastering, vocal production and repair: analog console and tape models, equalisers, compressors, pitch correction, noise reduction, limiters and virtual instruments |
| Multitrack or two-track | Two-track and multichannel, not multitrack: one file at a time with up to 32 channels for record, playback and edit. Boris FX states that it intentionally does not function as a DAW | Neither on its own: plug-ins that run inside a host DAW on tracks, busses or the master |
| Noise removal and repair | Yes, broadband noise reduction, DeHisser for hiss and hum, DeClicker/DeCrackler for clicks, pops and crackle, and DeClipper for clipped audio | AI-powered Clarity Vx and Clarity Vx DeReverb, Z-Noise, NS1 and DeBreath in both subscriptions; Waves Ultimate adds X-Noise, X-Click, X-Crackle, X-Hum, WNS, W43 and the Pro versions of Clarity Vx |
| Mastering and loudness | Wave Hammer 2.0 tightens dynamic range for perceived loudness, and peak and loudness metering with statistics supports CALM Act compliance | L1 and L2 Ultramaximizer and the WLM Plus Loudness Meter in both subscriptions; Waves Ultimate adds the L3 Multimaximizer and Ultramaximizer family, the Abbey Road TG Mastering Chain and credits for AI Mastering Online |
| Formats and resolution | Imports and exports WAV, W64, AIFF, FLAC, MP3, OGG and DSF among others, exports WMA, and opens video formats such as MOV, MXF and AVC/AAC | Runs at the host session's sample rate: every Waves plug-in supports 44.1 and 48 kHz and most support higher rates, with each plug-in's maximum listed in its tech specs, such as 192 kHz for the L2 Ultramaximizer. The L2 dithers down to 24, 22, 20 or 16 bits, and the catalogue includes surround plug-ins such as the L360 Surround Limiter |
| Where it runs | Desktop app for Windows 11; hosts VST2, VST3 and ARA plug-ins, renders in the background and processes many files at once in the Batch Converter | Plug-ins in VST3, AU and AAX for any DAW that supports those formats, on macOS and Windows |
| Licence and pricing model | Subscription from $24.95 a month or a perpetual licence from $299.95, in two plans, Sound Forge and Sound Forge Plus, with a 15-day free trial | Waves Essential with over 120 plug-ins at $14.99 a month or $149.99 a year, Waves Ultimate with over 240 at $24.99 a month or $249.99 a year, both cancellable at any time with updates included; individual plug-ins are also sold as perpetual licences |
| Also included | coreFX and essentialFX plug-in suites, dynamic EQ, Text to Speech, WaveColor waveform colouring and Instant Actions; Plus adds Melodyne 5 Essential, Vandal amp emulation, VariVerb II and 3D Reverb | Waves Stream for real-time lossless audio sharing with collaborators, the StudioVerse library of presets and effect chains, premium mixing courses, and in Waves Ultimate mastering credits: 30 a year on annual plans, 2 a month on monthly plans |
| AI features | Yes | Yes |
| Deployment | On-premise | On-premise |
| Support | Email helpdesk | more entries Email helpdesk, Phone, Community forum |
| Onboarding | Documentation and knowledge base | more entries Documentation and knowledge base, Video tutorials |
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Adds a column to the table, from the tools in this category.
Row where the values differ The small markers point at the lower number, the longer list or the stated feature. They describe the data, they are not a verdict.
The short version
Key Differences
- Starting price Sound Forge From $24.95 / month Waves From $14.99 / month
- Free trial Sound Forge 15-day free trial, fully functional, no credit card needed Waves 7-day free trial of Waves Essential and Waves Ultimate
- Hosting Sound Forge Desktop app for Windows 11 Waves Plug-ins for macOS 14 Sonoma to 27 Golden Gate and Windows 10 (22H2) and 11, version 17; on Mac only M-series Apple Silicon is officially supported
- Support Sound Forge Email helpdesk Waves Email helpdesk, Phone, Community forum
- Output Sound Forge Recorded, edited, repaired and mastered audio files Waves Processed audio inside a DAW
Every line is one datapoint from the table above, picked automatically. Nothing here is written text.
The trade-offs
Strengths and Limitations
Sound Forge
Strengths
- Records up to 32 channels at once into a single file
- Recording starts automatically on an input threshold or at a set time, with a prerecord buffer
- An event-based mode allows non-destructive editing beside the default destructive mode
- Hosts VST2, VST3 and ARA plug-ins
Limitations
- Windows 11 only
- No multitrack session for arranging several files
Waves
Strengths
- Over 240 plug-ins in Waves Ultimate, with new plug-ins added at no extra cost
- Noise, click, crackle and hum removal alongside the L-series limiters in one catalogue
- Subscriptions can be cancelled at any time and switched between the two tiers
- 7-day free trial of both subscriptions
Limitations
- The X-series restoration plug-ins and L3 limiters need Waves Ultimate
- On Mac only M-series Apple Silicon processors are officially supported
- Needs a host DAW; there is no standalone editor
Plans
Pricing
Sound Forge
- Sound Forge $24.95 / month Monthly subscription, or $149.95 a year on the annual subscription or $299.95 as a perpetual licence. Sample-level editing, peak and loudness metering, coreFX and essentialFX suites, dynamic EQ, repair tools, Text to Speech and batch processing.
- Sound Forge Plus $33.95 / month Monthly subscription, or $199.95 a year on the annual subscription or $399.95 as a perpetual licence. Everything in Sound Forge plus Melodyne 5 Essential, Vandal, VariVerb II and 3D Reverb.
Waves
- Waves Essential $14.99 / month Over 120 plug-ins, or $149.99 billed annually. 7-day free trial.
- Waves Ultimate $24.99 / month Over 240 plug-ins plus AI Mastering Online credits, or $249.99 billed annually. 7-day free trial.
What users say
Review Scores · opens after launch
Sound Forge
- Ease of use
- Not rated yet
- User interface
- Not rated yet
- Onboarding
- Not rated yet
- Support and service
- Not rated yet
- Value for money
- Not rated yet
- Features
- Not rated yet
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Waves
- Ease of use
- Not rated yet
- User interface
- Not rated yet
- Onboarding
- Not rated yet
- Support and service
- Not rated yet
- Value for money
- Not rated yet
- Features
- Not rated yet
No reviews yet. Nothing has been published here yet, and no score is shown. How a review is checked before it appears is described below.
How we check reviews
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Where this comes from
Where this comes from
Sound Forge https://www.soundforge.com/sound-forge/ · checked against the official source on 2026-10-10
Waves https://www.waves.com/ · checked against the official source on 2026-10-19
This table lists factual criteria taken from information the vendors publish themselves. For how we put it together, see the methodology.